


you're gonna sing the words wrong

by likewinning



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Comment Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-04-02 10:59:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4057477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likewinning/pseuds/likewinning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>5 Times Bruce Didn't Give In and One Time He Did</p>
            </blockquote>





	you're gonna sing the words wrong

**i.**

 

Jason stands above him, grinning and proud. He's just knocked Bruce to the mats with a new move they've been trying, and it doesn't matter that Bruce held back a little, doesn't matter that no one _else_ is going to hold back, because Jason looks so _happy._

"Not bad," Bruce says. "Are you going to give me a hand up, or just leave me here?"

"Can't I go for option three?" Jason asks, and then he's straddling Bruce, dripping sweat down onto him, laughing and grinning and –

Leaning down –

And Bruce puts both his hands on Jason's shoulders and sends him flying.

" _Fuck_ ," Jason says, and Bruce pushes himself to his feet. "Never let your guard down," he says, but his voice shakes.

 

**ii.**

 

The first time Jason gets drunk at one of Bruce's parties, he tackles Bruce afterward, leaps onto his back from the stairwell and wraps his skinny arms around Bruce.

"You're getting heavy," Bruce says. "Must be all that liquor I asked you very nicely to keep away from."

"Uh-huh," Jason says. His breath is hot on Bruce's cheek, and his hair tickles Bruce's skin. "But you know me. Tell me not to do something…"

"And you do it anyway," Bruce finishes. "Well," he says. "You can help me and Alfred clean this place up tomorrow, then. Let's get you to bed."

He starts up the stairs, but stops short when Jason mumbles, "Or you could take me to yours."

Bruce takes a deep, deep breath, gets to the top of the stairs, and heads toward Jason's room. He lets Jason sleep in the next morning.

 

**iii.**

 

In Ethopia, Jason climbs into his bed. They're sharing a hotel room, and Bruce keeps telling himself it's out of convenience, not because Jason is going to be leaving him soon.

Jason climbs into his bed, and the moon coming in through the window lights up his face, and his hair is a mess of curls from having just washed it, and they both watch each other for the longest time without saying a word.

Then Jason says, "You know, if you asked me to, I'd stay. If – if you need me to, I will."

Every selfish, wanting part of Bruce comes alive at the words, but he fights everything down, swallows and says, "You should be with your mother, Jason."

Jason gets back in his own bed. Neither of them sleep that night.

 

**iv.**

 

"You know those shirts?" Jason asks. They're on a rooftop doing surveillance, waiting for word from Stephanie and Tim. "You know, like 'I came back from the dead and all I got was this lousy t-shirt'? Well, I kind of feel like I came back from the dead and all I got was a damn _do you want to help us with this really boring job._ "

"Were you expecting a parade of some sort?" Bruce asks. He keeps his tone neutral, even though it's nearly impossible. Being around Jason at any point, since he came back, just gets more difficult every day – more difficult not to smother him with how _happy_ he is that Jason's here, that –

"I mean, maybe not a _parade_ , but maybe a little fucking – ah, there goes our guy."

The conversation stops while they leap across the rooftop, apprehend their perp, get the information they need. "You could've waited," Steph complains ten minutes later, when she and Tim show up and Bruce and Jason are already done.

"You've got point next time, gorgeous," Jason says, and Bruce glares at him. Steph and Tim head off again, but Jason waits. Bruce hates his new mask, hates how it hides everything, every expression. Jason's smile –

Jason reaches back, pops the hood off. He's still wearing a domino, but now Bruce can see him start and stop half a dozen sentences before he settles on, "I'm not a kid anymore, B. What are you waiting for?"

And Bruce has been asking himself that, too, along with a thousand other questions, but –

"There's work to do, Jason," he says, and it's Batman's voice, not his. 

 

**v.**

 

When he finally gives in – a rainy day in September, no one but the two of them in the manor, the smell of coffee bubbling in the coffee pot – it's not because they've just been in some life-threatening situation. That's every night, and Bruce knows that. It's not, even, that they haven't seen each other in a while, although they haven't.

It's just –

It's just the way Jason looks at him when he turns around from putting the coffee in the filter, the way he smiles at Bruce, easy and lazy like it's nothing, and all at once Bruce thinks that maybe this could be easy, too.

"You know," Jason says, when Bruce lets him catch his breath, "If I'd known all it took to get you to fuckin' kiss me was a cup of coffee, I would've been making you lattes years ago."

"Jay, I…"

"Bruce?" Jason says. "Just shut up, okay?"

For once, Bruce listens.


End file.
